My VAC Account
My VAC AccountWarrant Officer Robert McDougall (Ret’d) describes his entry into the CAF as a comedy of errors. In the fall of 1982, he joined a close friend who was on his way to enlist. As they pulled up to the Recruiting Centre in Peterborough, Ontario, McDougall was dragged into the presentation and testing. “I told them I’m good, I’m going to college. But I listened just to preserve the peace. Turns out the recruiters were very convincing.”
When he decided to join the CAF in September 1984, Marc Bergeron had already completed his diploma of college studies (DEC) in photography. He craved adrenaline and adventure: "I’m always on the move. I can never sit still."
In 1984, Marc was 23, and had almost reached the maximum age (at the time) for joining. Because he already had his DEC, he became a photographer straight away at the Halifax naval base without having to take training for a trade.
To help her choose a career, one of Lyna Gravel’s high school teachers talked to her about the program that would allow her to study oceanography in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The program was offered jointly with the Royal Roads Military College in British Columbia and the University of Victoria.
Growing up in Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia, Lynn Doucette always knew she wanted to join the RCMP. When the time finally came, she was devastated to learn that a height requirement would keep her from realizing her dream. Undeterred, she set her sights on the military. Inspired by her brother in the Navy, she thought “maybe the Air Force might be okay” and ultimately found her lifelong career.
Corporal (Ret’d) Kate MacEachern was not your average Antigonish, Nova Scotia teenage girl. She and her friend Nikola were already contemplating joining the army in high school. “As a little child, I wanted to join. If you go back 35 or 40 years, it was really not traditional for a girl to want to join the army”.
In 1990, when she was just 18, Hélène Le Scelleur became a reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Her parents had their doubts about her being in it for the long haul. She surprised them by quickly climbing the military ranks, going from non-commissioned officer to officer, reaching the rank of captain in 2007.
When asked whether she enjoyed her long military career, Francine Beaudry answers without hesitation: “For me, the Army was a big family.” Having been a Veteran for a little over 25 years, she remains highly engaged in the military community in the Quebec City area.
He would eventually enlist and go on to enjoy a 38‑year career punctuated by a stint in the Middle East as the Canadian Naval Task Group Commander aboard HMCS Athabaskan during the Gulf War. In addition he became the Allied Combat Logistics Commander overseeing the activities of some 60 Allied Warships.
It was an incredibly volatile time.
For a kid growing up in Lethbridge, Alberta, envisioning a future at sea might seem like a stretch. After all, the Pacific Ocean is 1200 km away to the west, and to the east it’s almost four times as far to reach the Atlantic.
And yet, David Joseph Bodie found a way to make his naval aspirations come true.
Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret’d) Charles Cormier discovered an interest in military operations in high school. After a classroom presentation of the Canadian Armed Forces Officer Training Plan, he enlisted in the Reserves at the age of 16. At 18, he transferred to the Regular Force and began his studies at the Royal Military College St-Jean. “I didn’t want to put financial stress on my parents.”
